Laverne Cox To Host GLAAD Awards; Robert De Niro To Be Honored

By

On Top Magazine Staff

|
April 21, 2016

GLAAD on Wednesday announced that
actress Laverne Cox will host its May 14 Media Awards show in New
York City.

“Laverne Cox has been a tireless
advocate for LGBT rights and has made a profound difference for
transgender visibility,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate
Ellis. “We are extremely excited to have her host the GLAAD Media
Awards and look forward to the panache and style that only she can
bring.”

Cox is best known for her portrayal of
Sophia Burset on the Netflix comedy Orange is the New Black.
In 2014, Cox became the first openly transgender actress to be
nominated for a primetime Emmy.

GLAAD previously announced that it will
honor De Niro with its Excellence in Media Award at next month's
show. The award is presented to “media professionals who have made
a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance.”

De Niro, an outspoken supporter of LGBT
rights and co-founder of the gay-inclusive Tribeca Film Festival,
talked about his father's late coming out in the HBO documentary
Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. The film, which
premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, documents the senior De
Niro's life through his son's eyes.